


I do Believe

by willswheelsonthebus



Series: Byeler Holiday Bash [1]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Christmas Fluff, M/M, Mike Wheeler Loves Will Byers, Will Byers Loves Mike Wheeler
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-03-08 15:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21826234
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willswheelsonthebus/pseuds/willswheelsonthebus
Summary: It's the Christmas after Will comes back from the Upside Down. He's struggling and Mike just wants to help him.
Relationships: Will Byers/Mike Wheeler
Series: Byeler Holiday Bash [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1573489
Comments: 2
Kudos: 44





	I do Believe

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody, this is for the Byeler Holiday Bash over on tumblr, hosted by frogfaceandzombieboy! The prompt for dec. 16th, day 1 is “love, actually, is all around.” (or any other favorite holiday quote you’d like to apply!) I chose the quote from A miracle on 34th street, “I believe, I believe, it’s silly but I believe.”

It had been over a month since the upside down had happened and Will was, well he was trying. Coping with his return from the Upside Down wasn’t an easy task and now Christmas was right around the corner. If he was being honest, he wasn’t really feeling the Christmas spirit. How could he? He felt changed now, different and yet, still the same. People had died in the very place he came back from. That didn’t seem fair. Why him? What made him worth saving, anyway?

There were very few things that kept those thoughts from shining to the surface and taking over him and one of them just happened to be riding up to his house right now. Will lifted his head at the knocking and went to answer it, smiling when he was met with Mike’s grinning, red face. The boy in front of him held up an arm and slung it around him, walking inside with him as he shut the door and led them to his room.

“Hey, I know I’m early, but I couldn’t wait to get started on our annual Christmas movie night! I brought A Christmas Story!” he dropped his bag and sleeping bag to the ground and then turned to face will again. “Are you excited?"

“Y-yeah. I’m just, it’s been a little crazy around here. Do you still even wanna do this? I know I haven’t been too fun to hang out with recently”, Will sighed. He could feel Mike’s eyes on him.

“Hey, the real question is do you want to do this, man?”, Mike put his hand on Will’s arm, gentle as ever. “You know we don’t have to, right? It’s okay to just- take time. We all need that, but no one more than you.”

Suddenly, the only thing Will wanted was for Mike to stay with him and not to leave. “N-no! I do! Want to, I mean.” He could feel himself blush and tried to will it away. “Don’t go?”

Mike’s smile seemed to break through the clouds hovering over Will, just then. “’Course not.” His face turned serious again. “But you don’t have to put on a strong front all the time, ya know? Especially not in front of the party, in front of me.”

“S-sorry. I just don’t want to worry you guys or for you to think of me differently or anything.” Will eyed the floor nervously.

“I’d never! I mean, u-uh, neither would the rest of the party. You’re one of our best friends.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Will’s small voice made Mike want to wrap him in a hug and tell him all of the things he’d always been afraid to before. “I’m serious. Will, We- I’d do anything for you. I just want to see you smile, but even if your sad or scared, I want to see you in those moments too, because that’s real and I want, I need to be there to comfort you.”

Will was looking at him like he’d just told him he’d gotten him a pony for Christmas, eyes wide and awestruck. “You mean all that? What you just said, like really?”

“Y-yeah, yes, of course I do.” Mike’s cheeks were tinted pink. He’d just word vomited to the max, but if Will’s reaction was anything to go by, it seemed like the right call. Oh God, he was about to do it again wasn’t he? He could feel it coming up, words crawling up his throat and him powerless to stop it. “I-I’ve actually been keeping something from you. I don’t know if this is the right time to say it, but when is the right time, then? I mean, I thought I lost you once and, hell, I almost did! I-I was so scared and I never wanna lose you again. The truth is, I love you Will. I love you so much, and it took you not being here for me to realize that I don’t want to hide that anymore.” Even the tips of Mike’s ears seemed to glow red as he spilled out his confession. 

When Will didn’t respond after the first few seconds, his face began to fall. Maybe he was wrong, maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Will seemed to notice this and steeled himself, before speaking. “I love you too, ya big doof.” Mike’s eyes shot up to Will’s face at that, in complete shock and elation. “I just can’t believe you love me back. I must’ve dreamt of this so many times before, why now? Why confess now?”

“I mean, It’s like I said, I just want to be someone you can lean on. And I thought It was time you knew the truth. I was keeping such a huge secret for so long and it wears on you, ya know? Besides, friends don’t lie. I had to tell you the truth, eventually. Plus, maybe this is gonna sound crazy, but there’s magic this time of the year. Something’s special about it. I really believe that. Do you get what I’m saying?” Mike nervously fiddled with his hands.

Will took his fingers and laced them through his own, squeezing once, a calm and assuring presence. “Yeah, I do. There’s a lot of wonder around us. It’s like Susan says in A miracle on 34th street, “I believe, I believe, it’s silly but I believe.”, ya know?”

“You watch old movies, dude.” The fond look Mike gave him belied the tone of his words though.

“Shut up, you love that movie too.”

“Only ‘cause I’m watching it with you.”

Oh. That throws the shorter boy into silence. Why does that make him so happy? He feels a bit special, hearing Mike’s admission. “Yeah, well that’s good, ‘cause we’re watching it tonight.” He’s almost whispering now, leaning in closer to Mike as he says this.

“Yeah?”

He gives a slight nod in response and then does something he never thought he’d be able to do. He kisses Mike. It’s just a small peck that last all of three seconds, but as first kisses go, it’s a winner. Their faces are shining with a light shade of red as they take in the moment and each other. Will realizes, in a happy moment of clarity that they’re still holding hands. Mike’s still here and hasn’t left. He isn’t going anywhere.

“Merry Christmas, Will.”

“Merry Christmas.”

**Author's Note:**

> My tumblr can be found here willswheelsonthebus


End file.
